- Feb 15, 2017
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I have consecrated myself to Jesus through Mary, I entrusted everything to Our Lady, and through her, Jesus. St. Louis de Montfort, that great Marian devotee and perfecter of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, states that Marian Entrustment requires a number practices both exterior and interior. The interior mysteries are of the utmost importance, and they can be quite difficult to perform, they consist of doing all things; through Mary; with Mary; for Mary; and in Mary. I studied the interior practices and jotted down a few notes on them. Please note that these notes are incomplete, I still need to do a few notes on doing things in Mary:
To help me work on performing these practices, I have made my own chaplet (pictured above,) in order to enable me to beseech Our Lady for the graces to do these practices, as well as meditate on them. This chaplet consist four "decades" of three Hail Marys in which I meditate on each practices and plead Our Lady for the grace to do them. In this chapel thread, I try to get into the habit of saying my chaplet in start working on performing the interior practices.
Marian Consecration: Interior Practices
Through Mary
- Obey Mary in all things and allow myself to be led by her spirit, which is the Holy Spirit.
- "I renounce myself, I give myself to you, my Blessed Mother."
- Totus Tuus: “I am all Yours and all that I have I offer to You, my lovable Jesus, through Mary, Your most holy Mother.”
- Renew these regularly
- The Spirit of Mary is the Spirit of Jesus Christ the Son of God and should be my Spirit
- I must lose and abandon myself to her and place everything in her hands
With Mary
- I must continually look upon Mary as my ideal role model of how to be holy
- Mary is the perfect model of all Virtues and Sanctity fashioned by the Holy Spirit
- Meditate on Mary's virtues and conduct, how did she act in a similar situation to one I'm experiencing? How would she act, if she were in some of my situations?
- Mary had a lively faith, she believed lively all the way from the Annunciation to the foot of the Cross on Calvary she was completely Faithful and Constant
- Mary was perfectly humble, she kept herself hidden, she remained silent, speaking only seven times in Sacred Scripture, she submitted herself to all things and placed herself last, beneath all things
- She was totally pure, there was no stain within her, in purity and virtue there is no equal in all of creation
- Mary is the mould and fiery furnace of God that turns all who enter into living images of Him. Those who allow Mary to forge them into images of Christ have it done unto them quickly and in a short time
For Mary
- Having given myself entirely to Mary, I should do all my actions for her as her slave.
- Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God is our ultimate end, and I must ultimately do all things Through Jesus, With Jesus, For Jesus, and in Jesus. However Mary is the best and easiest way to union with Jesus Christ the Son of God.
- I must not remain idle but trusting in her protection, I must strive to do great things for this glorious Mistress.
- I must defend her privileges when they are questioned and defend her glory when it is attacked.
- I must draw all people to her services, promoting devotions to her which are essential for Salvation. In particular, I must promote this devotion of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary.
- I must speak out fiercely against those who abuse devotions to Mary.
- I should do everything for Mary, seeking no reward other than the fact that I belong to so great an Empress and the fact that through her, I can be united to the Word made flesh for all of time and eternity.
In Mary
- St. Louis de Monfort describes Mary as a New Eden, the True Earthly Paradise in which the New Adam, Jesus Christ was formed by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin and Immaculate soil and dwelt there, nourished by her for nine months, working His wonders, displaying His riches, and delighting in her.
- St. Louis de Montfort describes Mary as a paradise full of mysterious riches, beauties, rarities and inexplicable delights, that are difficult for me to understand now, the idea of doing all things "in Mary" is a very mysterious thing that is difficult to understand, I really, despite receiving God the Son truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, view this is coming face-to-face with the supernatural.
- Perhaps I should work on my Devotion to the Eucharist, of I am to make myself worthy of such a thing
- St. Teresa of Avila speaks of the interior life as being like a castle with seven mansions
- St. Francis de Sales likens a person’s spiritual life to the Temple in Jerusalem and the Temple itself is based off the Garden of Eden
- In Mary is the True Tree of Life which bore Jesus the Fruit of Life and our Life
- St. Louis de Montfort speaks of there being “the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which gave light to the world.”
- There are flowerbeds of virtue which bring forth beautiful odors that are pleasing even to the angels
- St. Louis de Montfort speaks of: "meadows verdant with hope; impregnable keeps; charming palaces of confidence, etc. The Holy Ghost alone can make known the truth hidden behind these material figures."
- The atmosphere of this place is of the most pure air
- There is no night here, all is illuminated by the daylight of Sacred Humanity and the sun of Divinity
- The burning furnace of Charity is there, base metals are consumed in the flames and the purest of gold emerges
- The whole garden is watered by river of humility which divides into four branches which are the four cardinal virtues
- St. Louis de Montfort: "The Holy Spirit speaking through the Fathers of the Church, also calls our Lady the Eastern Gate, through which the High Priest, Jesus Christ, enters and goes out into the world. Through this gate he entered the world the first time and through this same gate he will come the second time. The Holy Spirit also calls her the Sanctuary of the Divinity, the Resting-Place of the Holy Spirit, the Throne of God, the City of God, the Altar of God, the Temple of God, the World of God. All these titles and expressions of praise are very real when related to the different wonders the Almighty worked in her and the graces which he bestowed on her. What wealth and what glory! What a joy and a privilege for us to enter and dwell in Mary, in whom almighty God has set up the throne of his supreme glory!"
- St. Louis de Montfort declares that this New Garden of Eden is not guarded Cherubim, but by the Holy Spirit Himself, and the human beings can only enter through a special grace given by Him which they must merit
- Once I have received the grace of dwelling in Mary, I must hold on to it and dwell deeply in her, with great joy and peace, I must depend on her with the utmost confidence, hide in her with total assurance, and lose completely in her
To help me work on performing these practices, I have made my own chaplet (pictured above,) in order to enable me to beseech Our Lady for the graces to do these practices, as well as meditate on them. This chaplet consist four "decades" of three Hail Marys in which I meditate on each practices and plead Our Lady for the grace to do them. In this chapel thread, I try to get into the habit of saying my chaplet in start working on performing the interior practices.